He came to the U.S. to support his sick child. Then he disappeared from a Texas detention facility.
Like most of the more than 230 Venezuelan men deported to a Salvadoran prison, José Manuel Ramos Bastidas had followed U.S. immigration rules when he arrived at the Texas border with Mexico. Then Trump rewrote them.
Mamdani walks back ‘globalize the intifada’ stance during NYC business meeting
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani told business leaders during a closed-door meeting this week that he would not use the slogan “Globalize the Intifada” and would discourage others from using it moving forward, Fox News has confirmed. After months of refusing to condemn the anti-Israel rallying cry, which, according to the American Jewish Committee, “calls for people from around the globe to participate in rising up against Israel,” Mamdani told more than 140 business leaders that a conversation with a Jewish woman about how this phrase triggers memories of terrible incidents changed his mind. The New York Times first reported Mamdani’s comments on Tuesday following his meeting with business leaders at the Partnership for New York City at the offices of Tishman Speyer in Rockefeller Center. Down in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, at another closed-door meeting hosted by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., about how to run a successful digital campaign, condemnation of the phrase was absent from conversations among national Democratic leaders who attended. ‘GLOBALIZE THE INTIFADA’ PHRASE STIRS TENSIONS ON NYC CAMPAIGN TRAIL AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT RAGES When asked by Fox News if there was a discussion about Mamdani’s new discouragement of the phrase, Ocasio-Cortez said, “No, that did not come up.” Several Democratic lawmakers confirmed Mamdani didn’t share specifics about his radical policy agenda for New York City, but instead shared his insights on running an effective digital campaign with a focus on affordability. ‘EXISTENTIAL THREAT’: JEWISH LEADERS WARN OF NYC ‘MASS EXODUS’ IF ZOHRAN MAMDANI WINS IN NOVEMBER A visibly frustrated Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., told Fox News’ Aishah Hasnie that Mamdani “didn’t even talk about” the phrase during the breakfast. “I’ll have that discussion with him later, but it didn’t come up. But I mean, I know a whole lot of people that care deeply about Israel that also are very worried about watching children die of starvation,” she said. Reps. André Carson, D-Ill., and Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., also confirmed the topic did not come up. The slogan “Globalize the Intifada” has stirred up tension within the Democratic Party since Mamdani was asked by The Bulwark podcast host Tim Miller if the phrase made him uncomfortable. Mamdani said he doesn’t support the policing or banning of language when repeatedly asked by journalists if he would condemn the phrase. Unsurprisingly, his competitor in the mayoral race, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, joined the chorus of Jewish advocates and coalitions who criticized Mamdani’s refusal to condemn the phrase. “That is not only wrong, it is dangerous,” Cuomo said in a statement soon after the viral clip. “There are no two sides here,” he added. But as Mamdani walks back his position on others using the phrase—popular among the pro-Palestine protests that have erupted at Columbia University and other college campuses as Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza rages on—national Democrats have begun to weigh in on the controversial slogan. Ocasio-Cortez, an early endorser of Mamdani’s campaign, told Fox News’ Chad Pergram on Wednesday that Mamdani shared critical insights about how to “level up all of our games in terms of technique” during the “Communication and Organizing Skillshare Breakfast” in Washington on Wednesday. While several national Democratic leaders have come out in support of Mamdani—including Rep. Adriano Espaillat, who backed Cuomo in the Democratic primary—outstanding skeptics have not endorsed the 33-year-old candidate. House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have confirmed plans to meet with Mamdani in New York City later this week, but both top Democrats have yet to formally endorse the self-described Democratic socialist. Ocasio-Cortez also urged those with outstanding questions about Mamdani to “get to know him” before “making assessments from what you may see on television.” She applauded her caucus for “showing up in good faith” on Wednesday to give him a fair chance and demonstrating a “willingness to listen and make assessments for themselves.” Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for additional comment. Fox News’ Olivia Patel, Bryan Llenas, Tyler Olson, Chad Pergram and Aishah Hasnie contributed to this report.
Mamdani confronted on streets of NYC about ‘communist’ label, refuses to answer
EXCLUSIVE: ASTORIA, N.Y. – New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, refused to respond to questions from Fox News Digital about critics calling him a communist and whether he plans to walk back any of his far-left statements. Outside his Queens apartment on Friday morning, Mamdani laughed off the questions and did not answer, despite mounting scrutiny as the mayor’s race between himself, Mayor Eric Adams, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa heat up. “Do you have any response to those who label you a communist?” Fox News Digital asked Mamdani. “Do you plan on walking back any statements when you meet with [House] leader Jeffries like seizing the means of production?” Mamdani repeatedly laughed, but did not answer the questions. MAMDANI’S FATHER SITS ON COUNCIL OF ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP TIED TO TERROR, LEGITIMIZES ROLE OF SUICIDE BOMBERS President Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr., are among the voices that have labeled Mamdani a “communist,” and many have labeled him a socialist. “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor. We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!” In an interview with Fox News Digital, Trump Jr. echoed a similar sentiment, saying it could be the “greatest marketing campaign for Florida,” which has become a haven for ex-New Yorkers and is currently led by conservatives. UNEARTHED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS EXPOSE RADICAL ANTI-ISRAEL VIEWS OF MAMDANI’S DAD: ‘COLONIAL OCCUPATION’ “But what happens to New York then? And as a lifelong New Yorker, as someone who grew up here, someone who changed the skyline here with my father for many years before he got into politics, that’s a scary notion, but perhaps it’s exactly what America needs. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, and I think if this communist mayor gets elected, rock bottom is what New York’s going to see,” Trump Jr. said. New York City Mayor Eric Adams also pointed out Mamdani’s past comments, including a 2020 tweet in which Mamdani stated “Each according to their need, each according to their ability” in May 2020. “- Karl Marx Author of the The Communist Manifesto,” Adams, a former Democrat, replied on July 7. A past clip of him circulating on social media has also come under fire for his comments on housing. “My platform is that every single person should have housing, and I think faced with these two options, the system has hundreds of thousands of people unhoused, right? For what?” Mamdani questioned in a resurfaced video that has circulated on social media. MAMDANI’S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’ “If there was any system that could guarantee each person housing, whether you call it the abolition of private property or you call it, you know, just a statewide housing guarantee, it is preferable to what is going on right now,” Mamdani added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “He claims to be a socialist, whether it’s wanting to abolish private property or wanting to seize the means of production, these are communist ideas right out of the playbook of Karl Marx,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-NY, said. Mamdani is scheduled to meet with House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies in New York City on Friday. Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Mamdani silent on ‘communist’ label, refuses to say if he will walk back radical positions
EXCLUSIVE: ASTORIA, N.Y. – New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee, Zohran Mamdani, refused to respond to questions from Fox News Digital about critics calling him a communist and whether he plans to walk back any of his far-left statements. Outside his Queens apartment on Friday morning, Mamdani laughed off the questions and did not answer, despite mounting scrutiny as the mayor’s race between himself, Mayor Eric Adams, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa heat up. “Do you have any response to those who label you a communist?” Fox News Digital asked Mamdani. “Do you plan on walking back any statements when you meet with [House] leader Jeffries like seizing the means of production?” Mamdani repeatedly laughed, but did not answer the questions. MAMDANI’S FATHER SITS ON COUNCIL OF ANTI-ISRAEL GROUP TIED TO TERROR, LEGITIMIZES ROLE OF SUICIDE BOMBERS President Donald Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr., are among the voices that have labeled Mamdani a “communist,” and many have labeled him a socialist. “It’s finally happened, the Democrats have crossed the line. Zohran Mamdani, a 100% Communist Lunatic, has just won the Dem Primary, and is on his way to becoming Mayor. We’ve had Radical Lefties before, but this is getting a little ridiculous,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “He looks TERRIBLE, his voice is grating, he’s not very smart, he’s got AOC+3, Dummies ALL, backing him, and even our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, is groveling over him. Yes, this is a big moment in the History of our Country!” In an interview with Fox News Digital, Trump Jr. echoed a similar sentiment, saying it could be the “greatest marketing campaign for Florida,” which has become a haven for ex-New Yorkers and is currently led by conservatives. UNEARTHED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS EXPOSE RADICAL ANTI-ISRAEL VIEWS OF MAMDANI’S DAD: ‘COLONIAL OCCUPATION’ “But what happens to New York then? And as a lifelong New Yorker, as someone who grew up here, someone who changed the skyline here with my father for many years before he got into politics, that’s a scary notion, but perhaps it’s exactly what America needs. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom, and I think if this communist mayor gets elected, rock bottom is what New York’s going to see,” Trump Jr. said. New York City Mayor Eric Adams also pointed out Mamdani’s past comments, including a 2020 tweet in which Mamdani stated “Each according to their need, each according to their ability” in May 2020. “- Karl Marx Author of the The Communist Manifesto,” Adams, a former Democrat, replied on July 7. A past clip of him circulating on social media has also come under fire for his comments on housing. “My platform is that every single person should have housing, and I think faced with these two options, the system has hundreds of thousands of people unhoused, right? For what?” Mamdani questioned in a resurfaced video that has circulated on social media. MAMDANI’S FAILURE TO WALK BACK THESE POSITIONS COULD CAUSE RECKONING IN DEMOCRATIC PARTY: ‘FIVE-ALARM WARNING’ “If there was any system that could guarantee each person housing, whether you call it the abolition of private property or you call it, you know, just a statewide housing guarantee, it is preferable to what is going on right now,” Mamdani added. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “He claims to be a socialist, whether it’s wanting to abolish private property or wanting to seize the means of production, these are communist ideas right out of the playbook of Karl Marx,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-NY, said. Mamdani is scheduled to meet with House Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies in New York City on Friday. Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
Pro-Israel congressman accuses Tel Aviv of ‘mocking’ Trump with ‘suicidal’ strikes in Syria
EXCLUSIVE: In a rare public rebuke of Israeli military action, Rep. Joe Wilson, R‑S.C., issued a harsh warning that recent airstrikes on Syria are “suicidal” for Tel Aviv. “I’m the co‑chair of the Israel caucus and a lifelong supporter of the State of Israel,” Wilson told Fox News Digital in an emotional phone call, “I am heartsick.” He said the strikes on Syria’s military headquarters were “insulting and mocking to President [Donald] Trump,” who just recently lifted sanctions on Syria after meeting with leader Ahmed al-Sharaa to give Damascus a “chance” at economic prosperity after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Wilson said he had a tense phone call with Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, urging him to share his warning back home that Israel must stop the strikes. RUBIO SAYS ISRAEL STRIKE ON SYRIAN MILITARY HEADQUARTERS ‘LIKELY A MISUNDERSTANDING’ Only weeks ago, there were back-channel talks between Israel and Syria on a possible normalization deal. Now, not only are those talks out the window, but the strikes will complicate work on a U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords-style deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, Wilson said. “It’s so sad to me, it’s so detrimental.” He warned that fractures in Syria could ripple across the region — undermining emerging ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, straining NATO relations with Turkey, fracturing Druze unity in Jordan and increasing instability among Kurdish populations across Syria, Iraq, Turkey and Iran. He added that such fragmentation would open the door for an ISIS resurgence, targeting Israel first. Wilson also pointed to broader geopolitical consequences, noting the strikes empower Iran and bolster Russia’s presence in Syria. “Efforts should be made to expel [Vladimir Putin’s forces], not to create destabilization,” he said, asserting that Moscow uses its Syrian bases to project naval power across Africa and the Mediterranean. “What is being done is actually beneficial to Iran. The more destabilization, the greater opportunity Iran has to destabilize other countries, whether it be further destabilization of Iraq, and then also it plays into the hands of war criminal Putin.” This week, Israel’s national security minister Ben Gvir said Israel must “eliminate” al-Sharaa. On Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the nation struck to defend Druze minority communities in Syria, fearing the Syrian leadership would soon strike Israelis. “I did not trust Assad the father, nor Assad the son, and I certainly do not trust a leader like Julani,” he said, referring to al-Sharaa by his former name. ISRAEL-IRAN WAR DIVIDES DEMOCRATS, BUT TRUMP’S DIPLOMACY ALSO SPLITTING REPUBLICANS He claimed al-Sharaa “relies on jihadist groups that he operates against minorities in Syria, and tomorrow he will operate them against Israeli communities in the Golan Heights. “The moment we understood that the Syrian regime was behind the attacks and a partner in the massacre of the Druze — we acted against them with full force.” The Druze community also has a sizable population in Israel. Wilson called the assertion “totally contrived and misunderstood.” “It’s so sad to me that they’re taking the eye off the enemy. The enemy is Khamenei and the enemy is the head of the snake. It is not Damascus. The head of the snake is Tehran.” “They’re opening the door for Tehran to rebuild Hamas to rebuild Hezbollah, to replenish and they already have the Houthis. So, it’s just crazy. And again, it’s suicidal. If you can’t figure out who your enemy is, then you’re opening the door for massive loss of life within Israel itself.” Syria’s leader accused Israel of sowing discord by striking in defense of the Druze, who were involved in deadly sectarian clashes that threaten the nation’s fragile unity. Washington is also intensifying pressure for de-escalation. The Trump administration has formally urged Israel to halt its strikes and pursue direct talks with Damascus. Special U.S. envoy Tom Barrack reportedly made several calls to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s adviser, Ron Dermer, pressing for restraint. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the strikes as a “troubling and horrifying situation,” adding that the U.S. is “very concerned” and wants the fighting to stop. The Israeli defense ministry could not be reached for comment.
House Republicans face mounting resistance as third ex-Biden WH aide pleads Fifth Amendment
A top former Biden administration aide invoked the Fifth Amendment during her closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee on Friday, Fox News Digital was told. Annie Tomasini becomes the third Democratic ex-official to stonewall investigators looking into whether signs of former President Joe Biden’s alleged mental decline were covered up by his inner circle. The former White House deputy chief of staff was seen entering and exiting the committee room in under an hour, saying nothing to reporters either time. A source familiar with the discussions told Fox News Digital that she invoked the Fifth Amendment multiple times, which likely is what led to the hasty meeting. Tomasini herself did not answer when Fox News Digital asked if she did so, however. COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’ The source said Tomasini pleaded the Fifth when asked if Biden, a member of his family, or anyone at the White House instructed her to lie regarding his health at any time. She also pleaded the Fifth when asked if she ever advised Biden on the handling of classified documents found in his garage, if Biden or anyone in the White House instructed her to conceal or destroy classified materials found at the former president’s home or office, and if she ever conspired with anyone in the White House to hide information regarding the Biden family’s business dealings, the source said. Fox News Digital reached out to Tomasini’s lawyers but did not immediately get a response. Comer confirmed she invoked the right against self-incrimination in a statement after the deposition, though he was not present in-person for the staff-led meeting. “Today, the third witness in our investigation into the cover-up of President Biden’s cognitive decline and unauthorized executive actions pleaded the Fifth Amendment. There is now a pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for this potential conspiracy,” Comer told Fox News Digital. “It’s unbelievable that Ms. Tomasini and others refuse to answer basic questions about President Biden’s fitness to serve…There needs to be transparency and accountability, and we will continue to pursue the truth and examine options to get the answers we need. Tomasini is the third ex-Biden administration official to come before committee investigators under subpoena, and the fifth to appear overall. She was meant to appear Friday for a voluntary transcribed interview, but a committee aide previously told Fox News Digital that Tomasini’s lawyers had asked House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., to issue a subpoena specifically. Both prior officials who appeared under subpoena – ex-White House physician Kevin O’Connor and Anthony Bernal, a longtime aide to ex-First Lady Jill Biden – also invoked the Fifth Amendment. Comer is investigating allegations that Biden’s former top White House aides covered up signs of his mental and physical decline while in office, and whether any executive actions were commissioned via autopen without the president’s full knowledge. Biden allies have pushed back against those claims. FAR-LEFT FIREBRAND SAYS SHE ‘NEVER HAD A CONCERN’ ABOUT BIDEN’S MENTAL STATE AS HOUSE PROBE HEATS UP In an interview with The New York Times on Thursday, Biden affirmed he “made every decision” on his own. But Republicans have repeatedly accused those who have pleaded the Fifth Amendment so far of intentionally hiding critical information about the former president, even as their attorneys argue it is not an admission of guilt. A source familiar with the Biden team’s thinking called House Republicans’ probe “dangerous” and “an attempt to smear and embarrass.” “And their hope is for just one tiny inconsistency between witnesses to appear so that Trump’s DOJ prosecute his political opponents and continue his campaign of revenge,” the source said. Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey contributed to this report
Trump directs AG Bondi to work on unsealing grand jury transcripts in Epstein case: ‘We are ready’
President Donald Trump late Thursday directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to work on releasing grand jury transcripts in the case of Jeffrey Epstein. It’s unclear exactly when any testimony may go public. The Justice Department is expected to file Friday asking a judge to unseal transcripts. The order came after a barrage of criticism against the Trump administration following the release of a joint DOJ-FBI memo that concluded there was no evidence that the disgraced financier had blackmailed powerful people, kept a client list or was killed while in jail. The memo has created deep fissures among Trump supporters who have complained of a lack of transparency from the administration. A source told Fox News Digital that FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino had been considering resigning over the matter, though he has not stated anything publicly. The president, meanwhile, has pushed back at the criticism, calling the charges a “hoax” and contending that his supporters are being “duped” by Democrats. Trump posted to Truth Social on Friday morning, “If there was a ‘smoking gun’ on Epstein, why didn’t the Dems, who controlled the ‘files’ for four years, and had [then-Attorney General Merrick Garland] and [then-FBI Director James Comey] in charge, use it? BECAUSE THEY HAD NOTHING!!!” BONDI SHOULD RELEASE ‘CREDIBLE’ EPSTEIN FILES, TRUMP SAYS DOJ BRASS VOWED FULL TRANSPARENCY ON EPSTEIN BEFORE TURNING UP EMPTY-HANDED Before joining the Trump administration, Bondi was among the staunchest advocates for releasing the Epstein list, telling Fox News’ Sean Hannity in 2024: “It should have come out a long time ago.” The Justice Department released a new batch of Epstein files in February, but the documents revealed no new revelations in the case. Many of the documents had already been released during the federal criminal trial of Epstein’s associate, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. MAGA WORLD ERUPTS OVER TRUMP’S DEFENSE OF BONDI AMID EPSTEIN FILES FALLOUT Trump has defended Bondi over the latest fallout, telling reporters earlier this week: “She’s handled it very well, and it’s going to be up to her, whatever she thinks is credible she should release.” On Thursday, Trump said he had directed Bondi to release all “pertinent” transcripts on the case. “Based on the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein, I have asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to produce any and all pertinent Grand Testimony, subject to Court approval,” Trump wrote on Truth Social late Thursday. “This SCAM, perpetuated by the Democrats, should end, right now!” Bondi said her team was “ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.” Epstein, a 66-year-old millionaire financier with a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, died in federal custody in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf and Ashley Oliver contributed to this report.
Stefanik uses viral CEO cheating photo to slam Mamdani, Hochul
It was the Kiss Cam seen around the internet, and now one House Republican is using it as a political cudgel. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., used the viral moment caught during a Coldplay concert that sparked allegations that Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and his head of human resources, Kristin Cabot, were having an affair, to bash New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. HOCHUL FAILS TO CRACK 50% BUT TOPS POTENTIAL GOP CHALLENGES BY DOUBLE DIGITS IN NY GOVERNOR RACE: POLL “Commie Mamdani holding [Gov. Kathy Hochul] headed for re-election in 2026,” Stefanik said on X. Fox News Digital reached out to Hochul and Mamdani’s offices for comment. Stefanik has so far flirted with a bid for the New York governor’s mansion, but has yet to throw her name into the race. She was previously the number three Republican in House GOP leadership until she was tapped to be President Donald Trump’s U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. However, Trump pulled his nomination and Stefanik returned to the House, where she again earned a spot in leadership. MAJOR REPUBLICAN RUMORED FOR GUBERNATORIAL RUN, HITS BACK AGAINST DEM: ‘WORST GOVERNOR IN AMERICA’ However, Stefanik is not the only House Republican eying a challenge against Hochul, who first took office in 2021 after former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is now battling Mamdani in New York City’s mayoral contest, resigned. She won her first full term in 2022. Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., is also mulling a bid against Hochul, and like Stefanik, has yet to announce his intentions. Lawler has twice won in typically Democratic districts, while Stefanik has held her seat in a deep red portion of upstate New York. ELISE STEFANIK UNVEILS NEW PAC AS NEW YORK GOVERNOR’S RACE BUZZ GROWS But a recent poll found that if either entered the race, along with a potential third in Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, they would have an uphill climb against Hochul. A recent poll from Sienna College found that Hochul leads each potential gubernatorial candidate by at least 20 points each. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Meanwhile, Mamdani is fresh from Washington D.C., where he met with the likes of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. He’s now back in New York to meet with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in a bid to secure their endorsements in his quest to beat New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Mamdani-mentum: Who are the other socialist candidates soaring among Democrats
Could Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh, who’s running for mayor of Minneapolis, become the next Zohran Mamdani? Mamdani, the 33-year-old Ugandan-born state assemblyman from New York City, stunned the nation’s political world last month by coming from behind to convincingly win the Democratic Party mayoral nomination in the nation’s most populous city. With his victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and nine other candidates, Mamdani took a big step toward becoming New York City’s first Muslim and first millennial mayor. Like Mamdani, Fateh is a Muslim Democratic socialist and, at 35, a fellow member of Generation Y. MAMDANI NYC MAYORAL PRIMARY VICTORY FURTHER INFLAMES LONGSTAND DEMOCRATIC PARTY DIVIDES Mamdani, as he runs for mayor, is pushing an agenda that includes eliminating fares to ride New York City’s vast bus system, making CUNY (City University of New York) “tuition-free,” freezing rents on municipal housing, offering “free childcare” for children up to age 5 and setting up government-run grocery stores. Fateh, the son of immigrant parents from Somalia who five years ago became the first Somali-American elected to the Minnesota Senate, pledges if elected mayor to raise the city’s minimum wage, increase the supply of affordable housing, and combat what he calls police violence. RNC CHAIR ARGUES MAMDANI ‘FACE OF THE NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY’ Republicans have been relentless in taking aim at Mamdani and his far-left proposals. They are repeatedly trying to make him the face of the Democratic Party while also attempting to anchor him to vulnerable Democrats up for re-election in next year’s midterms. While not grabbing the kind of media frenzy that surrounds Mamdani, Republicans and conservatives have started targeting Fateh. Charlie Kirk — the conservative host and MAGA-world rockstar who leads the influential Turning Point USA political youth organization – recently took aim at Fateh over his Muslim identity. POTUS PUNDITRY: TRUMP WEIGHS IN ON MAMDANI-CUOMO NYC MAYORAL FACEOFF On Saturday, the Minneapolis Democratic Farmer Labor Party (the name of the Democratic Party in Minnesota) meets to decide whether to make an endorsement in the city’s mayoral race. Insiders say the party will likely either back Fateh or stay neutral and not endorse any candidate. There are other candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) that are grabbing attention in municipal races across the country. Among them is Michigan’s Denzel McCampbell, who is running for the Detroit City Council in District 7. McCampbell has a history of working on issues like voting rights. In Ithaca, New York, student organizer Hannah Shvets won a primary to represent the city’s Ward 5. Shvets, who is pushing a platform focused on affordable housing, climate action, public safety reform, and government transparency, is supported by the Ithaca chapter of the DSA.
Unearthed social media posts expose radical views of anti-ICE suspect captured by FBI
EXCLUSIVE: A social media account that is believed to belong to anti-ICE Texas attack suspect Benjamin Song, 32, who was captured Tuesday evening, contains anti-Israel, anti-police and anti-Trump rhetoric, according to posts reviewed and verified by Fox News Digital. Song was arrested by the FBI Dallas Field Office after the FBI offered a $25,000 reward for his capture regarding the attempted murder of federal officers and firearms crimes in an Independence Day riot at the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. A local police officer is now recovering after being shot in the neck, and 11 other individuals are also facing charges, including 10 others for the aforementioned charges. “Do you want to end mass shooting? Abolish the police,” he posted in June 2022 under the X handle, BubbleBreakBS. FBI CAPTURES FORMER MARINE CORPS RESERVIST ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AT ICE OFFICERS AT TEXAS DETENTION CENTER Fox News Digital was able to confirm that the “BubbleBreakBS” account belonged to Song after reviewing several social media posts, including a 2019 post when he thanked “Behind the Masks,” a Facebook group that was dedicated to telling stories of protesters in the Free Hong Kong Movement, for telling his story, referring to their post as “my story.” The link that the account shared highlighted how “Ben Song, a 26-year-old Uber driver from Arlington,Texas who has been a political activist since he was 13, was moved by Hong Kong’s fight for freedom and flew from the US to show his support.” The post went on to describe Song as “half Korean and half Japanese” and said he “gained many unforgettable moments during his hands-on participation in the movement.” BubbleBreakBS also posted out a couple of posts days later that appeared to link to a podcast “episode” on YouTube that he was featured in. The X posts, which included several pro-Hong Kong hashtags in light of the uprising against the CCP, mentioned Song’s name. However, the YouTube channel appears to be private, and Fox News Digital could not access them. Song, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, appears to have been more conservative-leaning in his early college days, listing the College Republicans and martial arts clubs at the University of Texas at Arlington on his LinkedIn profile. He also listed being a contributor to a “Conservative Camp” blog for 11 months. However, during the last several years, his social media account has been littered with rhetoric attacking law enforcement, Republicans, President Donald Trump, Israel, Christians and other radical views. WHO IS BENJAMIN SONG? NEW DETAILS EMERGE ABOUT ANTI-ICE SUSPECT CAPTURED AFTER MAJOR TEXAS MANHUNT In June 2020, Song replied to a post from Trump in which the president wrote, “Biden wants to Defund the Police!”, and Song replied, “Defund the Police! Defund the Baby Bunker B–ch!,” a Trump nickname that the resistance movement used frequently online in 2020. In a 2022 post, Song called Trump “stupid as hell” and “easily controlled.” “Really f—ed to ‘both sides’ this right now. All of Palestine is fighting for its life at this moment. The Joint Command says it had actionable intelligence that Netanyahu was going to extinguish Gaza soon. This is a death camp breakout. This is the Warsaw Uprising,” he said on Oct. 10, 2023, just three days after the Hamas attack on Israel. “Sick.” “Hitler is scared now. Little baby Hitler-Netanyahu doesn’t want to be bullied for his heinous war crimes,” he wrote on Oct. 17, 2023. “Israel is a vicious apartheid colony committing genocide every day. Zionism is racism. Zionism is white settler colonialism. Move Israel to Sardinia or Sicily or Goteland,” he posted in March 2022. “ACAB because they are class traitors and white supremacist btw,” he posted about police, using the “All cops are bastards” acronym in June 2021. “There is no world where they ‘hold each other accountable.’ Cops were created by the upper class for the upper class. They protect property and keep the poor in line. They have no other purpose.” “Landlords are bad just like ACAB. It doesn’t matter what individual actions there are, the institution is bad. There are no good slave owners,” he said in June 2021. “Conservatives believe in prejudice + power when it affects them (in their imagination),” he posted in July 2021. “I’ve realized this is all fascist violence,” he posted in March 2021. “The conservatives cry mental health, the liberal cry gun control. But every time it’s white men killing people because they are black, Asian, women. This is the rising force of fascism within the neoliberal order.” While Song’s social media profile was littered with anti-GOP posts, he also attacked some Democratic leaders, like former President Joe Biden, failed Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, former Rep. Beto O’Rourke of Texas and others. “Joe Biden is a racist. He is a sex offender. He is a corrupt puppet. His policies are s—. He engenders no hope or excitement amongst those who need it…” Song said in June 2020. “I used to support [Andrew] Yang, even though he had some lilly livered responses when I met him in Texas. Now he’s gone full fascistic bootlicker. He will lose thankfully. A new wave movement has moved against fascism. Jan 6th was the high water mark,” he wrote in May 2021. “Beto is a dangerous Billionaire family, racist and anti-immigrant far right fascist,” he said in February 2022. In addition to Song’s X handle, Fox News Digital was able to verify through online records and Instagram videos that Song was using the same martial arts studio that lists his mom as a “program director” and “owner” for filming different tactical exercises and self-defense training in the years before the attempted murder charges. It is unclear whether the groups of people with blurred-out faces in the social media posts were part of the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club (EFJBGC), a left-wing “anti-fascist,” or Antifa, gun group that Song is allegedly tied to. A Fox News Digital review revealed that Song’s X account tagged the EFJBGC X